Recycling Requirements: Carson vs South Gate
How do recycling requirements rules compare between Carson, CA and South Gate, CA?
South Gate has fewer restrictions than Carson.
Carson, CA
Los Angeles County
Recycling is mandatory in Carson under three layered authorities: (1) the city's exclusive residential recycling franchise (CMC Art. 5 Ch. 2), (2) California AB 341 mandatory commercial recycling for businesses generating 4+ cubic yards/week and multifamily of 5+ units (PRC §42649 et seq.), and (3) California AB 1826 / SB 1383 mandatory organics recycling for ALL residents and businesses (PRC §42649.8 et seq., §42652 et seq.). Every Carson home gets a 96-gallon blue-lid recycling cart and 96-gallon green-lid organics cart from Waste Resources; food scraps and food-soiled paper go in the green organics cart along with yard trimmings.
View full Carson rules →South Gate, CA
Los Angeles County
South Gate participates in the statewide California recycling program under AB 341 (mandatory commercial recycling) and AB 1826 (organics). Residents place mixed recyclables (paper, cardboard, metal, glass, rigid plastics) in the blue cart provided by UWS. Contamination can result in a missed pickup.
View full South Gate rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Carson | South Gate |
|---|---|---|
| Mandatory residential recycling | Yes — blue-lid 96-gal cart, exclusive Waste Resources franchise | - |
| Mandatory residential organics | Yes — SB 1383 (PRC §42652), green-lid 96-gal cart | - |
| Mandatory commercial recycling | AB 341 — businesses 4+ cy/wk waste; multifamily 5+ units | - |
| Mandatory commercial organics | AB 1826 / SB 1383 — all businesses generating organics | - |
| What's in green cart | Food scraps, food-soiled paper, yard trimmings | - |
| Extra carts | Additional blue or green carts available at no charge | - |
| State authority | - | AB 341, AB 1826, SB 1383 |
| Blue cart | - | Paper, cardboard, glass, metal, plastics #1–#7 |
| NOT accepted | - | Plastic bags, foam, e-waste, batteries |
| CRV redemption | - | PRC §14500 (separate from curbside) |
| Commercial threshold | - | 4 cu yd/wk solid waste = mandatory recycling (AB 341) |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Carson FAQ
Do I have to recycle in Carson?
Yes. Carson's franchise (CMC Art. 5 Ch. 2) plus California AB 341, AB 1826 and SB 1383 (PRC §42649-§42652) require residents and businesses to separate recyclables and organics from trash. Every Carson household gets blue and green carts.
What goes in the green organics cart?
Food scraps of every kind — fruit, vegetables, meat, bones, dairy, bread, coffee grounds, tea bags — plus food-soiled paper napkins and pizza boxes, and all yard trimmings (leaves, grass, prunings).
Can my apartment building skip recycling?
No. AB 341 requires multifamily complexes of 5+ units to arrange recycling, and SB 1383 requires ALL residents — including apartment dwellers — to have organics service. The property's franchise account with Waste Resources must include both.
South Gate FAQ
Can I put plastic bags in the blue cart?
No. Plastic film tangles sorting equipment. Return clean bags to grocery-store collection points. California also banned single-use plastic carryout bags statewide under SB 270.
Do businesses have to recycle?
Yes. Under AB 341 (PRC §42649), businesses generating 4+ cubic yards/week of waste and multifamily properties with 5+ units must subscribe to recycling service.
What about CRV bottles?
You can place them in the blue cart, or redeem the deposit at a CRV-certified buy-back center for cash.
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